1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a watery rice gruel used as an invalid diet for patients such as terminal cancer patients who have lost their appetite as a result of having became debilitated.
2. Background Art
Patients such as terminal cancer patients who are in a is debilitated state conventionally lose their appetite and are unable to eat. In such cases, the physician provides supplementary calories and nutrients for the bodies of these patients by using one of the two methods indicated below. The first method involve tube feeding, namely inserting a tube through the nose of the patient to the stomach and injecting a high calorie liquid diet or nutrient solution through that tube. Further, the second method involves intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH), namely performing venipuncture on the patient's subclavian vein or femoral vein, implanting a catheter (tubular device used for diagnosis and treatment of illnesses by inserting into the urethra or urinary bladder) in the superior vena cava or inferior vena cava, and transfusing a high-calorie liquid through this catheter, In addition, in the field of invalid diets used for elderly patients and so forth, a rice porridge is known that is easily consumed by critically ill patients having decreased chewing and swallowing functions by coagulating or thickening watery rice gruel with at least one of either a coagulant or thickener, and mixing with grains of rice to gel the entire porridge containing grains of rice and watery rice gruel (see, for example, Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 187832/1999).
However, in the case of supplying calories and nutrients to the patient's body using conventional methods such as tube feeding or intravenous hyperalimentation as described above, the patient ends up losing the desire to live. This is because the acts of eating and tasting are intimately related to appetite, and are linked to a feeling of pleasure as a result of stimulating the hypothalamus (vital center) and bringing about a desire to live within the patient. Thus, in the case of the artificial feeding methods as described above which are unaccompanied by the acts of eating and tasting, the fundamental desires and pleasures of human beings end up being blocked. In addition, since methods of feeding patients by tube feeding as described above cause considerable pain and discomfort for the patient, nearly all patients attempt to pull out the tube. Thus, it becomes necessary to restrain both hands of the patient with rope and so forth to prevent the patient from pulling out the tube, resulting in the problem of the patient's human dignity being lost. In addition, in the case of feeding methods for patients by intravenous hyperalimentation, although the frequency at which patients pull out the tube is lower as compared with the case of tube feeding methods, even in this case, the patient is unable to escape the sense of being restrained (as a result of being connected to the catheter). Moreover, since nutrients are administered directly into the blood vessels of the patient in the case of intravenous hyperalimentation, the patient's digestive tract does not function. As a result, the normal flora of the intestine, which are referred to as the first line of defense (immunity) of the patient as well as the intestinal liver, end up being depleted, thereby leading to a decline in the patient's bodily functions and creating the problem of having a serious effect on the patient's physical homeostasis.
In addition, the rice porridge indicated in the previously mentioned Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 187832/1999, in which an entire rice porridge, containing grains of rice and watery rice gruel, was gelled cannot be fed to patients who no longer accept food. In addition, although this rice porridge is effective in supplying patients with nutrients, it does not have the effect of improving the patient's condition.